Hermione and Padfoot
by coffeegurly
Summary: (SBHG) Sirius miraculously comes back from behind the curtain...as his 18 year old self! He is enrolled as an undercover student at Hogwarts... He can't wait to be the hottest guy at school again who can get any girl he wants...and then he sees Hermione.
1. Changes

Harry Potter characters, settings, everything except for this specific plot, belongs to J.K. Rowling!

* * *

Hermione Granger threw more clothes onto the ever-growing pile heaped in her trunk. She paused, looking at the stack for a second and then disappeared back into the dresser. More clothes came flying out, missing the trunk and landing on the floor. She came back out and pushed her bangs back from her forehead, crossing to her full length mirror. She looked at herself, and smiled. She had grown a lot over the summer, a few inches taller, and had started running and working out. She was very proud of her tanned abs, which at the moment were peeking out from under the black tank and low rise jeans she was wearing. Her newly sleek brown hair, thanks to a new spell she had learned over the summer, was thrown up into a ponytail, but a few slightly wavy tendrils still hung around her face, damp with the humidity in the air. 

She started fixing her hair, smiling to herself. She couldn't wait to see Harry and Ron and Ginny. She was meeting them at Grimmauld place, a week before school started, so they would have time to buy supplies and catch up. Harry and Ron had been there for the past month, ever since Sirius had found his way back out from behind the curtain, Harry had been spending as much time as possible with the godfather he had almost lost. It was currently a secret however, and only the members of the Order of the Phoenix knew of his return.

She pulled her hair back up into a pony tail and put on some brown eyeliner, something she had recently started to use. It made her eyes look bigger and somehow made her look older. She hoped that Harry and Ron wouldn't act weird around her, what with her new figure and new form fitting clothes she had suddenly taken an interest in. She would never think of dating them, it would be like dating a brother.

She turned around and laughed at the sea of clothes that had been halfhazardly tossed in different directions, and waved her wand at them, watching as they magically folded themselves and fit into her trunk among the many books that had already been packed. "Hermione!" called a voice from downstairs "Will you be ready to leave in about five minutes? Your father is going to drop you off at King's Cross, you can't be late, you'll miss the train to London!" "Yes mum, I'll be down in a second!" Hermione called back. She picked up her trunk and smiled, she couldn't wait to see her friends!

* * *

Harry Potter stumbled into Grimmauld place at two in the morning with Ron and Sirius. The were all pretty drunk, and had just gotten back from a hot club in London. They had danced with some of the hottest girls Harry had ever seen, until they were too tired to move anymore. They all stumbled up the stairs to their rooms. Harry reached his first and collapsed on the bed, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. 

Harry, Ron and Sirius had been having a fun month. They went to the best clubs in London, and stayed out until dawn. If Harry's name didn't get them in, Sirius' good looks did. That was the thing that Harry had been most worried about. Sirius' secret. He hadn't told Hermione about it, she had no idea.

When Sirius came back out from behind the curtain he had changed. He was no longer a gaunt looking ex prisoner of Azkaban pushing 40. For some reason, he had come back as an 18 year old. Since no one but the order of the pheonix knew Sirius was back, Dumbledore planned to have Sirius enrolled at Hogwarts as a student in the upcoming year. Though Sirius had grown younger, he hadnt lost his experience with magic, and would be an excellent undercover wizard to have around.

Harry hadn't been able to tell Hermione anything about Sirius, since it was too risky to communicate it. It would completely ruin Dumbledore's plan if the information was intercepted. Ron had only found out when he came to Grimmauld place, a little over a month ago. Hermione knew only of Sirius' return, because Ron had accidentally slipped up and told her.

Six hours later, Harry woke up to the sound of Hedwig hooting outside of his closed window. "Bloody bird" he mumbled, and ran to the window to let her in. She swooped in, and dropped a letter on his bed, and then settled in her cage. Harry stretched. Now that he was out of bed, he might as well stay up.

He opened the door of the dresser and glanced in the mirror. He had been working out all summer at the local gym near privet drive, much to the dismay and horror of the Dursleys. They pretty much let him do what he wanted now, ever since they had been threatened by mad eye moody at the beginning of the summer. He was also tan, after having many quidditch practicing sessions with Ron and Sirius, who planned to try out for the team as soon as they were back at school. He was aware of his good looks, but didn't let on. He was still as down to earth as he had ever been, even though girls had started to take a notice in him. He only hoped Hermione wouldn't be one of those girls. He had always thought Hermione was pretty, but it would be like dating a sister.

* * *

Sirius woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs. He squinted at the bedside clock. 11:30. He should probably get up and help whoever was making breakfast. He stood up and immediately regretted having those last few shots. His head was pounding and his stomach was in knots. He reached for his wand on the table and muttered a few words. Immediately the symptoms ceased. He smirked. There were definitely some perks to being a wizard, and one of them was never having to deal with hangovers. 

He grabbed some clothes and walked into the spacious bathroom that was in his room. He turned on the shower and looked at himself in the mirror. He loved being young again. No one had yet figured out why it had happened, and the best Dumbledore could do was to guess that it was a side effect from the miraculous return. He rumbled his dark hair in the mirror and flexed his tanned muscles. He would soon once again be the hottest guy in Gryffindor. No, the hottest guy in Hogwarts. He knew he had to be responsible, as an undercover agent for the Order of the Phoenix, but he was allowed to have a little fun.

He was definitely going to find a girl, he thought as he pulled off his boxers and stepped into the steaming shower. Sure he had been with quite a few over the past month of clubbing and partying, but he wanted to have a steady girlfriend for once in his life. Maybe not right away, he liked having a bunch of girls throw themselves at him at once. But eventually, maybe, he would find a girl that made him want to stick around.

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my first ever fanfic! please review! Rated M for later chapters 


	2. A dimly lit room

Thank you so much to my reviewers!

abbie-parker- i know, its going to be a little slow, it is my first one so it might take awhile for the characters to get there, but i promise i will eventually!

acid green quill- thanks! heres your update :)

The all mighty and powerfulM- haha how couldyou guess? Isuppose the title might have given something away...

Ms.Sprinkles- Thanks! I'll try to update asfast as I can!

trurose- thank you, i hope you like this chapter too!

JTBJAB- I hope it turns out well! Sorry if its a little slow, let me know if it gets boring!

Siren's Call- haha thank you so much! I'm really not lying it is my first fanfic, I'll try to keep it interesting! Thanks so much for the encouragement, I wasnt sure how this story would go over :) :)

Thank you so much to all my reviewers, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

I'm sorry, its still a little slow, it might take awhile for things to heat up, but i promise ill get there!

* * *

Ginny Weasley got out of the car door and stared up at Grimmauld Place. The surrounding neighborhood was dank and depressing, and the air was thick with the sounds of traffic and shouting from the busy street just down the alley. She shivered and turned as her boyfriend and fellow classmate, Dean, got out of the car, casting a skeptical eye at the dismal surroudings. 

"_This_ is the top secret place that Dumbledore choice to house the Order?" He raised an eyebrow as he came around the car and took Ginny's hand. She smirked at him "I know it seems really depressing, and believe me it used to be even worse on the inside, no its true!" she insisted as Dean gave a snort of disbelief. "But don't worry", she squeezed his hand reassuringly. "From what I understand, Sirius has done a lot of cleaning up since he got back, and its supposed to be really nice now." "I sure hope so" said Dean, still looking skeptical, walking around the discarded cans and newspapers that littered the narrow street.

Ginny stopped just outside of the row of houses on the sidewalk and took out a piece of parchment. "Read this quickly and memorize it" she instructed Dean. He took the paper questioningly and read it, then handed it back. Ginny quickly destroyed it with her wand after a furtive glance down the street. "Now think very hard about what you just read, Dumbledore gave me permission to tell you, but you have to swear never to speak it to anyone." "Dean squinted at the houses and suddenly a new one squeezed into view. His eyes widened and he surveyed the dark looking exterior that had just materialized into his view. "Well this looks promising" he mumbled. Ginny laughed and dragged him up the front steps to Sirius' house.

* * *

Sirius came stumbling into the kitchen. Harry had finished eating and was leaning up against the counter with his arms folded, staring out the window. Ron, the bottomless pit, was still rumagging in the depths of the fridge. They both turned as Sirius made his way over to the coffee pot. 

"Man those girls were _hot _last night" grinned Sirius, punching Harry on the arm as he reached for a coffee mug. "Ymph guh meery hobf" came from the direction of the fridge. Harry laughed and Ron swallowed "yeah they were really hot" he repeated. "And did you see Harry with that blonde? Close is a bit of an understatement." "No I think he was a little too busy with that brunette to notice much else" said Harry, in the direction of Sirius who at the moment was gulping down large amounts of black coffee. Even with the anti-hangover spell he still felt a little off. Sirius finished the coffee, and stretched. "Yeah she was alright, I've had better" He joked, and grinned.

The doorbell rang suddenly. It startled Ron to emerge from the depths of the fridge and he ran to the door. "That must be Ginny" said Harry, crossing to the door with Sirius. "Hermione's not supposed to get here until late".

Ginny rang the bell and glanced up at Dean, who was a good bit taller than she was. He looked back down at her and smiled nervously. The door opened and Ron appeared. "Ginny!" He stepped aside to let Ginny and Dean into the hall and closed the door. He gave Ginny a hug and picked up her bag, giving Dean a slight glare. "Hey Dean" he said grudgingly. He knew they had been going out for a little over a year, but he still resented the fact that his younger sister was old enough to date. And one of his friends for that matter.

Sirius and Harry came into the hall, grinning at their two friends. Ginny's heart gave a small jump. She had never quite gotten over Harry and Dean's hair never could quite achieve that fresh-off-the-broomstick look. Some Harry's hair fell into his eyes and Ginny suddenly didn't trust her knees. She gave him a quick hug hello, and turned to Sirius. If she hadn't been completely obsessed with Harry she probably would have noticed that Sirius was in fact the best looking guy in Hogwarts.

However, Dean had noticed and placed a protective arm around her shoulders as Sirius came forward for a hug. Noticing this, Sirius hung back and held out a hand. Ginny shook it, with an exasperated look up at Dean, though grateful for the distraction.

Ginny looked around at the hall. Everything was now brightly lit and looked nothing like it had last summer. It no longer looked as if it had ever belonged to dark wizards, and Ginny immeadiatly felt comfortable. Sirius had certainly done alot of work over the summer. She sawHarry Ron and Sirius smiling at her and her attention turned back towards them.

"WowSirius" shesaid "You havedone so much work, thishouse looks amazing!"Harry slapped Sirius on the back "Yeah you've kinda got to wonder howhe fit it all in what with his wild partying schedule he's got goingnow that he's twenty years younger" Sirius grinned"Well it took me awhile to convince Dumbledore to let meleave this godforsaken house, so I had enough time on my hands, and it wasn'ttoo hard after all thework we put into last summer. Plus members of the Order kept showing upand theyhelped out a little."

Ginny found herself spacing out from sheer exhaustion. She and Dean had been up all night, driving from her house into London. She was ready to take a nap, and from the expression on his face, knew he was as well. "It's so great to see you guys again!" she exclaimed"I'd love to stick around downstairs and talk, but we've been driving all night and..." "Three flights up, second door to the right" interrupted Sirius smiling at the clearly exhausted Ginny and the suspicious look still on Dean's face. Ginny had told Dean about him,Sirius knew this much,butDean obviously hadn't been expecting the sudden change in age. Dean waved his wand at the luggage and it started to follow them as they went up the stairs. "Yeah and there are _two_ beds made up there for you. TWO beds, so each of you can have one." Added Ron asGinny and her boyfrienddisappeared onto the first landing.

"I still don't like the look of that one" growled Ron as the footsteps slowly faded. "Ron you don't like anyone who even looks at Ginny" Harry rolled his eyes at him and walked into the den, with Sirius and Ron following, to watch tv as they waited for Hermione to arrive.

* * *

Sirius had never quite understood the muggle fascination with TV, and he quickly fell asleep, sprawled on the couch. Ron had inherited some of his dad's obsession with 'muggle artifacts' as he called them, and was completely mesmerized. Harry kept glancing out of the window every now and then. He couldn't wait to see Hermione. He had missed her so much, and they hadn't had much communication over the summer in fear of possible interception. 

Two hours later when Harry couldnt take any more TV, he woke up Sirius and dragged Ron away. They went out to the magically concealed quidditch pitch and practiced for a few hours. They had gotten really good, and were very excited about the quidditch cup in the upcoming year. "Nice catch Harry!" Ron swerved away from the goal post to high-five Harry after a miraculous catch of the snitch. Ron swerved back in front of the middle post just in time to stop an excellent attempt by Sirius. He tossed it back over and in no time Sirius had sent the quaffle soaring through the left hoop, just out of reach of Ron's outstretched fingertips.

Once it started getting dark and Harry mistook Ron's small owl, Pig, for the snitch, they headed back home. They trudged back inside hot and sweaty, but due to their excellent conditioning were hardly breathing heavy at all, despite the long walk back from the concealed pitch. Sirius immideatly stripped off his shirt and headed for the kitchen, followed by the two others.

"Bloody hell Sirius you really freaking smell" complained Ron, giving him a wide berth in the kitchen, on his way to get some water, and of course, more food. "You don't smell like you're fresh out of the shower yourself Ron" retorted Sirius as he gulped down large quanities of ice water he had summoned with his wand. Harry shook his head at the both of them and got his own glass.

He heard noise coming from the stairway and looked up to see Ginny and Dean walk into the kitchen. Ron looked around from the fridge and started choking on his ham sandwich at the sight of Dean and Ginny hand in hand. However, he merely shot Dean a look, grunted a hello in Ginny's direction and continued to eat.

* * *

Ginny looked at her brother scarfing down large amounts of food. She didn't know how he did it. He ate constantly and still didn't gain a pound. Just like Harry and Sirius, he was very fit and muscular. She and Dean sat down next to Harry at the kitchen table. 

The five of them chatted for awhile, and had dinner thanks once again to some of Sirius' wandwork. They continued catching up on things, and joking with each other, Ginny trying to avoid Harry's eye and ignore Dean's roving hand under the table. After a while, after the conversation died down, Ron and Harry decided to go grab a quick drink out at the closest bar before Hermione got back. Sirius left for the den, to take a quick nap. He sprawled out on the couch in the den, still shirtless and fell asleep in the dim light of the room.

Dean and Ginny headed upstairs to their room. They climbed the three flights of stairs and entered their room. "Oh I am exhausted from those stairs!" puffed Ginny, and flopped onto the bed. Dean grinned wickedly and shut the door. "You'll be even moreexhausted once I'm through with you!" Ginny squealed as he pinned her arms down and moved on top of her, kissing her neck and moving up to her mouth. Soon they were too busy to hear the sqeaking of the front door as it was opened.

* * *

Hermione, after knocking for several minutes, pushed open the front door of Grimmauld Place. It was dark, and she didn't hear anything. She peered around for someone, and then dragged her suitcase in after her and shut the door. Leaving the suitcase by the door, she looked in the kitchen, and saw no one. 

She hadn't been expecting a full-on welcoming party or anything, but she had expected at least someone to be there. She had been looking foward to seeing everybody! It was probably because she early she decided, and continued to wander down the hallway.

She reached the den, and seeing it was dimly lit, ducked inside. She saw someone sprawled, shirtless, on the coach. She could see chiseled abs, well defined in the failing light, and long dark hair. His arms were muscular, she could just make out his profile. He was easily one of the hottest guys she had seen. She walked foward for a better look, but the man on the couch turned and she gasped. Laying in front of her and now very much awake was a grinning, young, and very hot Sirius Black.

* * *

I hope you liked it, i know its slow but its going to be a long story all in all so it might take a while for things to get going! please review!


	3. Confusion

Thanks again to all my reviewers!

moonyNZ - ahhhh thanks for the warning! lol! and yes, updating is a pain, but ill try to keep updating it often :)

JTBJAB - thanks! yeah my chapter always seem to end up being quite long... hahaha oh well better than a short one i guess :)

Siren's Call- I know, I'm so sorry about the spacing stuff, for some reason whenever i save the changes, the spacinggets all screwed up- but I made sure to fix it this time- i went back and tried to re-read my own chapter and the spacing was really annoying! haha :)extraordinary? you flatter me! but it is definitley appreciated!

i hope you like this one, again please review and feel free to include constructive criticism, this is my first fic so i know it wont be perfect! but i hope u enjoy it just the same :)

* * *

Sirius woke up to the sound of the front door closing. He guessed it was probably just Harry and Ron coming back, so he ignored it. He kept his eyes closed and listened to the person who, he could now tell from their unusually light footsteps, was not a slightly intoxicated Harry or Ron. He allowed himself a quick grin. Was Ginny sneaking downstairs for a quick snog already? He knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, it just seemed unusually soon. But no, those were not Ginny's footsteps. Sirius' senses were unusually heightened, since he had spent so much time as a dog, hiding from thedementors and whoever had just paused outside of the open door lacked the heavier perfume Ginny had been wearing, and was wearing a lighter, more feminine scent. 

He continued to feign sleep, but barely opened one eye and watched the person step into the shadows of the room. He couldn't see very well, what with the lack of light in the room, and the fact that his eye was just barely open. But what he _could_ see, he liked very much.

He could see long, dark, silky hair that had just enough wave in it to fall gracefully over her shoulders. She was tall, but had a slender frame, and at the moment she was walking toward him, staring at him intently, so he closed his eye firmly. She stopped just in front of the couch, and he heard her gasp. He turned, and grinned up at the girl standing just a few inches from his halfnaked body. Suddenly he realized who it was and he sat up, dark hair swinging into his even darker eyes as he moved.

"Hermione?" he said incredulously "You look amazing". He stood up and she backed away a few inches, visibly confused. "Wha- who- Sirius?" she finished, looking at him with a quizzical and slightly frightened expression. Sirius sighed, she obviously had known nothing about the age change. He sat her down and explained, (as best he could) what had happened when he had come out from behind the black curtain.

"So do you understand?" He asked, still transfixed by the beautiful girl in front of him. "I think so..." replied Hermione. "But why didn't Harry or Ron or anyone tell me about this?"

"Well they had expected to be here for your return, and tell you before you had the chance to see me. But being the pair of idiots that I've grown so fond of, they stopped off at the cornerpub for a bit. They thought they would be back in time for your return." Sirius replied, wondering how Hermione would react to the news that her friends were at a pub. "Oh" Hermione sighed and pushed back her bangs "Well I wish they had waited until I returned, I could use a pint right about now." She laughed at the evident shock on Sirius' face that was slowly being replaced by a sly and disbelieving smile.

"Well look at you Hermione, you've obviously changed a bit over the summer"

"In more ways than one" she flirted back "But did you honestly expect me to stay inside the whole summer, reading books like a good girl? I've been to my fair share of clubs and parties this summer, thank you."

Her eyes sparkled with mischief as Sirius threw back his head to laugh "I can't wait for Ron and Harry to hear this! They will be absolutely blown away by this new Hermione!" Her smile wavered for a moment, after hearing this. She realized how true Sirius' statement might be.She wasn't expecting Harry and Ron to take it like Sirius had.

Sirius had always been the 'Bad boy' type at school, this much she knew from the stories she had heard from Lupin, and Sirius himself, when he had been his old self. And now she could see it for herself, sitting just across from her. He was extremely hot, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to continue flirting. She wasn't sure why, she had flirted with many guys over the summer, and some of them had been almost as hot (but not quite)as Sirius.

"What is it?" Sirius asked Hermione, with his mischievous grin. He knew she was attracted to him, and her signals were saying the same about him. So why not go for it? He got off his chair and kneeled directed in front of the seated Hermione. He was much taller than she, and even though he was kneeling, and she was sitting, their faces were perfectly even. Hermione looked a little taken aback at what was happening, but she didn't resist, so he kept going. He leaned in and put one hand behind her head, pulling her in for a quick, but sensitive kiss.

He pulled back andtilted his head, looking for her reaction. She just stared at him for a few seconds, still trying to grasp what had just happened. Then she started to lean back in. Sirius wrapped his strong arms around her small waist and once again brought his lips back to hers. Hermione reached out for him, and wrapped her fingers in his long hair. Without breaking the kiss, Sirius dragged her onto the floor and underneath him.

He had kissed a lot of girls, and normally it was just something he had to put up with before he got what he really wanted. But this kiss was different. It was passionate and trusting, and he liked the feeling of Hermione's fingers running through his hair. Suddenly she pulled away and tried to sit up.

He sat up, and pulled her up next to him, his hands still around her waist. She pushed them away and stood up, putting a hand to her head, looking very flustered and confused. She had never had a kiss like that. She wasn't too experienced, she had made out with a few guys, but this kiss was different. But wait, this was Sirius! Harry's godfather! Her best-friend's godfather!

Sirius stood up next to her, titling his head and giving her the same questioning look. "Is everything ok?" He asked her. She bit her lip, but not soon enough. Sirius had seen it quivering and could tell she was on the verge of tears. "Hermione!" he said, surprised. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

He moved to her and put a hand on her shoulder, tilting her chin up with his other hand. Her eyes swum with tears, and she stepped back, pushing his hand away. "We can't do this" she said in barely a whisper. "Harry... you're his godfather... I can't..." She buried her face in her hands and ran out of the room. Sirius stood still, in shock. That was not the reaction he had expected. Especially after she had pulled him back in!

He sat back down on the floor. He knew Hermione and Harry shared a close bond, they were almost like brother and sister! But this hadn't been in his mind when hedecided to kiss her, and realized now the confusion and guilt he had probably caused her. He punched the nearest chair and it tumbled across the room.

He stood up. He hadn't wanted to hurt her. He had always respected Hermione, as Harry's best friend, and as the brightest witch in her year. There would be other girls, he knew that, and he wouldn't bother Hermione again. He had been stupid to try and kiss her, he should have left her alone. He looked back at the chair where she had been sitting. But that kiss...

* * *

Hermione ran out of the room and slowed as she reached the front door, and the bottom of the staircase. She put a hand against the wall, trying to think about what had just happened. She shook her head and took out her wand, waving at her trunk, which was still at the front door. She walked slowly upstairs, her trunk following close behind. She climbed three flights of stairs and hesitated outside of the second door on the right. 

She heard someone inside and knocked on the door. She heard a few muffled swears and footsteps scrambling around the room. A rather flustered looking Ginny with rumpled hair opened the door, revealing an even more flustered Dean, with a pillow on his lap.

"Hermione!" cried Ginny, and hugged her best friend. "It's so great to see you!" replied Hermione, ecstatically. "But," glancing at Dean, "I think I'm interrupting something, so I'll go and unpack and see you two later on. She smirked at the both of them. Ginny blushed a little and nodded, and Dean gave a little half wave, not looking her in the face.

Hermione laughed and closed the door behind her, and continued up the stairs. She had really been looking forward to seeing Ginny, and she really needed a friend to talk to, after what had just happened.She couldn't talk about something like this withHarry or Ron. This was something she could never tell them. They were ultra-protective of her and she didn't want to chance starting possible trouble between Harry and his godfather.

She opened a few more doors on the third landing, but other than the room Ron seemed to be occupying, none of them were livable. They were either crammed with junk, missing a bed, or just impossibly dirty. Clearly, Sirius hadn't gotten around to cleaning out the whole house yet. She climbed the last flight with trepidation.

There were only three bedrooms on the fourth floor, and one of them was the master suite belonging to Sirius. The other was Harry's. She pushed open the remaining door and was pleasantly surprised, despite the location. She had walked into a spacious room, decorated in deep red and gold. The room had nice, rich furnishings and a huge canopy bed.

She wandered past the bed and stepped into a spacious bathroom, which was also deep crimson red with gold trim. It was like being back at Hogwarts, with hethe Gryffindor colors. She smiled and ran to the bed, where she jumped onto it. Pretty quickly the smile faded. "Shit." she thought. "So much for avoiding Sirius, now I have to live on the same floor as him!" At least she only had to be here for a week, before school started.

She knew that Sirius was a confirmed bachelor and very much the ladies man, but that kiss had felt so real. She had felt more desire with him than any other guy she had ever been with, and at the same time she had felt safe and protected. Then she rolled her eyes at her own thoughts.

"It was one kiss" she said aloud, to herself "Get over it, it didn't mean anything to him, and it shouldn't mean anything to you" Hermione got up and started to unpack, but however hard she tried to will herself to stop thinking about the kiss, she couldn't get her mind off of it.


	4. The Reunion

wow! two chapters in one night! this insomnia is good for something ;)

sorry if there are any annoying spacing mistakes- it happens every time i save and update changes

please review!

* * *

Harry and Ron finished off another pint with the rest of the regulars at the bar. They had been coming to this bar pretty frequently over the past month. At first, Ron had had a little trouble fitting in, since it was a muggle bar in the middle of a muggle neighborhood.Pretty soon Harryrealized that Ron's questions about football were going to raise more than one eyebrow, and some uncomfortable questions, and quicklytaught him the rules and point of the game. The loud questions such as "Why is no one allowed to fly?" or "Why is there only one ball and how come they have to play on the ground?" were going to ruffle a few feathers, especially in a room full of drunken fans.

They had just finished cheering on the winning team, when Harry glanced down at his watch and punched Ron in the arm. Ron punched him back "YES! GOAAAAAAAAAL!" He cheered, high five-ing the other guys who were at the moment yelling at the top of their lungs.

Harry grabbed Ron's arm and shook him "No! Look at the time! Hermione has got to be back by now!" Throwing some money down on the bar to pay for their drinks they ran out as fast as the cheeringcrowd would allow. They reached a nearby deserted alley, and cast furtive looks up and down the deserted side street. Seeing no one, each boy disapparated with a pop.

Harry and Ronhad illegally learned to disapparate with help from Sirius over the summer, and they used it frequently, but had to be carefull not to get caught. It would be a sure expullsion from Hogwarts. They both re-appeared just inside the front door of Grimmauld Place.

Sirius came walking out of the den, just as they appeared, running a hand through his hair. "Is Hermione here yet?" Asked Harry, still glancing around, as if expecting her to jump out from behind something. "Yeah she is" said Sirius, in a tone that Harry and Ron might have paid more attention to if they had not been so excited to see Hermione. "Well where is she?" Said Ron, running to the kitchen and peering in. "I think she might have gone off to find a room" answered Sirius, and followed the now running boys up the stairs.

"What bedrooms are left Sirius?" Called Harry over his shoulder as they neared the third landing. Sirius thought for a moment and then realized with amusement, "The only one left is on the fourth landing, next to my room and across from yours." He slowed his pace, and let Harry and Ron continue to run ahead up the stairs.

Hermione heard fast footsteps coming up the stairs. She turned from hanging her clothes in the giant mahogany armoire, just in time to see Harry, grinning ear to ear and Ron with much the same expression, burst into the room. "Hermione!" They both exclaimed, rushing to give her a hug.

She met them halfway, laughing and crying a little. "Hermione! Why are you crying?" a concerned Harry held her at arms length and studied her face with a concerned expression. She waved it away "It's nothing! I'm just so happy to see you guys!" Ron shook his head as Harry pulled her in for a hug "I will never understand girls and their crazy emotions. Oy! Don't I get a hug?" He pouted until Hermione gave him one, and then they all began talking at once.

* * *

They talked and joked for hours, Hermione and Harry sprawled on the bed, watching Ron as he re-encated one of his recent and most fantasticsaves on the quidditch pitch. "And then, out of the blue, Sirius comes from NOWHERE! And I mean _nowhere_! Now normally, an average keeper wouldn't have stood a chance, but out of the corner of my eye I saw him, and my instincts took over" He lunged to the left, exaggerating his motions and making Hermione collapse once more into laughter. 

"Wasn't it brilliant Harry?" Ronpunched the air with a victorious fist. "Bloody brilliant" replied Harry as he turned and mouthed to Hermione "It was luck". Luckily Ron hadn't noticed this or the fact that Hermione was despertly trying to conceal her laughter with a large fluffy pillow.

"How about you Hermione? Bet you've been having fun memorizing all the requried books for this year." Hermione stuck her nose in the air. "Ronald Weasley, for your information studying is not my only interest." "Oh is that so?" He shot back grinning "Well then, why don't you inform us of the precise date you ran out of books to study." Harry and Ron both laughed at this, and Hermione hesitated for a moment before confessing.

"Actually, I've been going to pubs with friends- don't give me that shocked disapproving look! I was informed of _your_ whereabouts shortly after I arrived here and you were not out getting sober. And I've been to quite a few parties and clubs this summer, and well it's a close second to studying, in terms of enjoyment."

She looked at both her friends, now sitting across from her on the bed, and had to laugh at the sight of their mouths hanging open in disbelief. "You're bluffing" Ron finally managed to say. "No I am not!" She insisted. "Well what do you think Harry, do you believe her?" Ron turned to Harry who had by now managed to close his mouth. "Well Ron, I think if what she claims is true, there is only one way to prove it." Hermione raised an eyebrow at the smirking boys.

"You are absolutely right. Tomorrow night, we'll go out to the nearest club, party or pub-you get to choose- and you'll be able to see how easily I fit in!" She flounced off the bed and headed towards the bathroom, grabbing a towel off a chair as she went. "Now if you boys don't mind, we've been talking for four hours, I'm tired and I think I'll take a shower." She paused at the bathroom door and smiled. "Goodnight." The door closed.

Ron shook his head and turned to look at Harry. "I still think she's bluffing."

* * *

ive got the next chapter done andits called "Beer, Blood, and Smoke"

i'll try to upload it tonight, but i might not have it up until tomorrow :) hopeu liked this one!


	5. A Red shirt and a Confession

Ok, sorry i lied, the _next_ chapter will be called Beer, Blood and smoke. Sorry about that :)

Thanks to all my reviewers!

LittleMissPadfoot- i love your name! and thats a really good idea, i think i might incorporate that later on:)

amrawo- thank you! here's your update :)

lilred-07- thanks! i'll try to keep the updates frequent :)

JTBJAB- haha well moral for now anyways... wink

The all mighty and powerfulM- i hope this one is interesting!

profet- thank you so much! i tried to include a few funny parts- Ron's character is hilarious to begin with thanks to the genius that is J.K. Rowling- but i'm glad it worked :)

I don't own anything Harry Potter, everything belongs to J.K. Rowling

* * *

The next day, Hermione woke to the sound of rain gently falling on the rooftop. She glanced at the clock and seeing that it was already 10, slipped out of bed to get dressed. Suddenly she remembered the promise she had made to both Harry and Ron, and decided to pick out her outfit for tonight. She ran her hand along the many clothes now hanging in the armoire, and stopped at a deep red and lacy tank top. She pulled off her pajama top and pulled on the tank, and took her hair down out of the ponytail it had been in. She studied herself in the mirror that was conveniently placed on the door of the armoire. The deep red color of the shirt looked incredible with her dark curly locks now cascading over her deeply tanned shoulders. She smiled and turned this way and that, excited for tonight. This was what she needed to get Sirius out of her head- she was sure she could find a cute guy to take her mind of things for a while. Taking off the shirt, she placed it on the bed and quickly paired it with a pair of slim fitting dark jeans, and black kitten heels. Then she selected a dark blue baby tee and pair of faded and frayed jeans for now, leaving her hair as it was and got ready to go down to breakfast.

* * *

Sirius had been awake for some time now. He had gone to sleep with music blasting last night, trying to block out the sounds of Hermione's laughter next door. He hated to admit it, but he was jealous of Harry and Ron. Whenever he saw them together, and especially when they were with Hermione, it reminded him of the old days. James, Lupin and Lilly, and the bond they had all shared strongly resembled the bond he had tried so hard not to witness last night. He got up, rumpling his hair, resigned to the fact that he would have to get used to it.

* * *

When Sirius entered the kitchen, everyone but Ron was already seated at the table and had started breakfast. He grabbed himself a bagel from the bunch on the counter (without magic this time, as he had left his wand upstairs) and sat down with the rest of the bunch. "So, Sirius- what do you think about Hermione's little bet?" asked a grinning Ginny, Dean's arm wrapped around her shoulders. "Think she'll go through with it?" "What bet? Go through with what?" He returned, munching his bagel and getting up for his coffee (damn it, everything was a pain in the ass without his wand). Making a mental note to not forget it next time, he returned to the table with his coffee.

"Oooo you haven't heard about it yet?" Judging by the raised eyebrow Sirius gave her, Ginny took this as a no and filled him in on the plans for that evening. Once Ginny was finished, she sat back with a smug smile on her face, obviously expecting something of a shocked reaction to follow. Instead, Sirius again raised his eyebrow, this time in the direction of Hermione. "So Hermione's new nature is finally revealed to the rest. I've been wondering how long it would take them to notice." His eyes twinkled mischeviously at Hermione, who looked down at the tiled kitchen floor, a slow blush creeping over her cheeks.

"Wait what do you mean by that? How did you already know?" Harry asked. Now they were all watching him intently, and Sirius realized he should have kept his mouth shut a little too late. To give him some time to think, he stuffed the remaining quarter of the bagel into his mouth and pointed to it apologetically. "Mmph fumff muph" He chewed slowly, and turned to Hermione.

The gaze of the group shifted to Hermione who was suddenly very interested in cleaning her plate entirely of the crumbs that remained from her bagel. Realizing she wasn't going to get away with this one, she shot Sirius a look that read _thanks a lot for sticking me with this_ and gave it her best shot, trying to sound offhand about the whole thing.

"Well when I got here, I accidentally walked in on Sirius taking a nap, as he was the first one I bumped into we talked for a while after I had woken him up" She glanced around at the group, who still looked unsatisfied with this answer. "We talked about our summers, there was obviously a lot of important _details_ that _some people_ forgot to mention about his return , so he filled me in and I told him about my slightly rebellious summer."

She shrugged and got up for more orange juice, maintaining a cool facade, but was really concealing her trembling hands as she attempted to pour the juice, her back to the table. Luckily, at that moment Ron walked in, causing Dean to drop his arm from Ginny's shoulders and instead busy himself with finishing his breakfast. "Morning Ron" Ginny spoke up, after giving Dean a small flick to his shoulder for being such a wimp.

"Morning" Ron sat down and conjured himself a large breakfast. It was actually quite diverse, having at least one representative from every major food group. Now it was Harry's turn to lift an eyebrow as he watched Ron shovel in liberal amounts of food. It wasn't the amount of food that surprised him, just the fact that he had used a wand. Normally he would head straight for the fridge and begin to run up the grocery bill.

Hermione returned to the table laughing- with the rest- at Ron's meal. He looked up at them for a brief second and smiled sheepishly before returning to his plate. "Why the cold shoulder Ron?" asked Harry with a bit of a concealed grin on his face. Ron paused from the feeding and looked up "What do you mean? I said good morning when I came in" He looked slightly hurt at the implication.

"No not towards me, I meant the fridge! Don't you think it's feeling a little left out this morning what with the bit of wand work you used just now?" Harry replied, no longer concealing the grin that was spreading across not only his own face now. Dean and Sirius were both snorting into their coffee that they had so unwisely chosen to drink moments before.

For a moment Ron looked like he was having a bit of a struggle. Normally he would give Harry a good punch in the arm for a comment like that, but that would mean having to put down his forkmajor dilemma. In the end he shot everyone a glare and continued to eat. "Well why do you think we're having bagels this morning?" Laughed Ginny "It's because the amazing bottomless pit has eaten everything else in the fridge!"

* * *

Ginny and Hermione spent the rest of the day hanging around the house. Originally they had planned to join the rest of the boys in a quick game of quidditch, but due to the rainy weather they decided instead to stay behind and catch up on things. They couldn't have their hair frizz up when they were going out later that evening! Hermione was glad of the excuse since she had really wanted to talk to Ginny, not GinnyDean, ever since she had arrived. (A/N did anyone else immediately think of Jimmy Dean, the restaurant, after hearing this? Haha it was completely unintentional). This was the first time Dean had not been by her side, and they had actually had a hard time convincing him to go after Ron had loudly suggested making Dean the keeper, and then volunteering to be a beater. Dean didn't look to keen on the idea of Ron having access to a club with which to aim a lot of heavy bludgers at his head. However in the end, Ron, with some disappointment agreed to remain the keeper and Dean joined them, his face slowly regaining color.

Ginny shut the door and screeched with excitement. "Hermione! Come! Let's talk! I want to hear _every_ thing you've been wanting to tell me and don't want the boys to know!" The went up to Hermione's room and sat on the bed, Hermione absentmindedly picking at a few imaginary stray stitches as she gathered the courage to tell Ginny what had happened...

* * *

Back out on the quidditch pitch, they had a successful game going, despite the heavy sheets of rain that had continued to fall. Dean's broom unexpectedly went haywire a few times before Sirius had the insight to confiscate Ron's wand, but other than that, the game passed without incident, each player making magnificent plays and trying their best to knock one another off their brooms in the process.

* * *

Back in the red and gold room, Hermione had just finished telling Ginny about the events the first night she had arrived. "And now I can't get it out of my head, but no one can know, not even Dean! Promise you won't tell?" Ginny nodded her head, both slightly amused and shocked at Hermione's brief but obvious change in attitude.

"I can't believe you kissed Sirius!" She shrieked, throwing a pillow at Hermione, who was now wearing a slightly proud smile. "So that was what Sirius meant at breakfast- I knew your answer was complete bull, even if everyone else ate it up. Have you talked to Sirius about it since?" Hermione shook her head no. "And I'm not going to! I know it happened, but I want to act like it hasn't. If Harry finds out about it..."

She had been looking directly at Ginny and noticed that when she had mentioned Harry's name, Ginny's face flushed a bit and she had looked away, just for a brief second. But that was all it took for Hermione's interest to take hold and her intuition to take over. "Wait a minute... have I missed something?" She questioned a now anxious looking Ginny.

"Wow, is this your outfit for tonight?" Ginny asked, picking up the red shirt that had been laid out on the bed and holding it up. "Ginny your face could pretty much blend in with the rest of that shirt right now, not to mention your ears. Stop trying to change the subject- you still haven't gotten over Harry have you?"

Ginny put the shirt down and continued to blush furiously. "Well... I thought I had, especially after I had found Dean... I DO like Dean, I _really_ do!" She spoke vehemently. "But when I saw Harry the other day, when we got here, I don't know Hermione, I just... well he's really freaking hot for one thing." She grinned and continued "But I think its just an infatuation that I'll always have."

Hermione pursed her lips in thought. "Well maybe it's a little more than an infatuation, Ginny. But I promise your secret is safe with me. And speaking of Dean, I seem to have interrupted something the other night..." Her laughter was cut short by another pillow, this time to the face. Feathers filled the air as a full on pillow fight ensued.

* * *

The boys came back in, dripping wet and muddy. Oddly enough, Ron and Dean had seemed to have formed a strange sort of bond on the field. It was the type of bond that came only with repeated bludger attacks, and several 'accidental' plummets to the ground after failing to see the other as they flew through the air. Harry's opinion was that both of them had simply been beaten into acceptance of the other, but whatever it was he was relieved the tension between them was gone.

* * *

Ginny and Hermione came down the stairs, dressed to go out, and smirked at the soaking boys who were now dripping mud on their way to the kitchen. Ron reached the kitchen first, and was the first one in, as usual. However, Dean, Sirius and Harry had turned before entering the kitchen, in time to see both girls come down the stairs. All three mouths dropped open.

Dean was looking at Ginny, who was looking at Harry, who was looking at Hermione, who was doing her best to look at anything but Sirius, who was blatantly staring at her. Everyone stood there for a few seconds, an eternity to the nervous Hermione.

Then Ron's voice came from the kitchen "Oy! Isn't anyone else hungry? We have to eat and then go! I for one have been waiting all day to see Hermione step foot in somewhere that is not a residence, school or library and I'd like to get going."

The tension, that had gone unnoticed by Ron, broke immediately as everyone filed into the kitchen, Hermione giving Ron a smart smack on the back of his head as she passed him. "You just wait Ronald. I might have changed more than you expect." She could feel Sirius staring at her from a corner in the kitchen. "I'm not even sure you'll be able to handle it".


	6. Beer, Blood, and Smoke

(A/N) sorry for any confusion over the whole bar/pub thing. I've only ever been to a few pubs in London, but I know what the bars are like in the US, and that is what is in my mind for this next scene. To clear up any misconceptions, this is the setting of the next scene-a particularly shady bar, dark and really smoky. Loud music is playing, and lots of people are dancing. There is a bar for drinks, and a few smaller tables in the shadows. There are pool tables, (I think its called billiards in England?) and lots of dark corners and shady characters. Ok, I hope I cleared this up, I realized I was using both terms and didn't want to confuse anyone

Thanks to my reviewers! You guys are great :)

Devy Black- heehee faster? But if i went too fast the story would be over and done with! I'll try to speed up the updating, but they're not even Hogwarts yet -grin-dont worry, they'll get there :)

RainynDawn- thank you! I've been trying to weave a tangled web... this next chapter threw Harry for a loop, who knows what might happen... ;)

BlackPaintedWhite- I'm sorry to say that this chapter ends once again in a bit of a cliffhanger -heehee- but i'll try to update soon and end the suspense! Does 2:20 am count as Sunday night? lol

The all mighty and powerfulM- heehee yes, but the question is, does Harry like her? We'll soon see-well maybe not soon-but we'll see!

MoonyNZ- haha i was getting the same message when i tried to log on to read your story! please update soon! the suspense! lol- thanks, thats my favorite line in the story so far! but i honestly came upon it by accident :)

trurose- thanks! sorry it took awhile, here u go!

conquer the world using bunny- haha i love your name- oo yes johnney depp is alot like Sirius- old but HOT! thats why i came up with a way to make him young for this story- i couldnt have hermione being with a 40 something year old man, i wanted him to be the younger sexy sirius! (not that he isnt sexy as an older guy)

amrawo- thank you so so so so so so so much:) heres your update!

Ariesbaby- well heres the update, but im afraid this chapter may have tangled it even more... (evil grin)

profet- thank you! that is such a huge compliment, and yes i love the protectiveness- it may have waned a little as he gets used to Dean, but dont worry, it will fire back up again :)

EsScaper- well im not sure this is what you wanted to see happen, but dont worry there will be other bars... (cough cough-HOGSMEAD-cough cough)

donttouchmysexyferret- thank you! im also a fan of draco/hermione, and I cant wait to read your fic!

LittleMissPadfoot- oooo good idea! that may show up in a later chapter :)

i hope i didnt forget anyone! sorry if i did, its 2:30 in the morning now, and despite my insomnia, im feeling a bit tired...

Sorry the update took so long, I had alot of trouble on this chapter, and not a whole lot of time- but to make up for it, this chapter is really really long!

* * *

I do NOT own anything Harry Potter- that belongs to the genius that is J.K. Rowling

* * *

"Ok, is everyone all set to go?" Hermione asked above the hubbub of her excited friends. (Ron and Dean were loudly discussing, for the third time, how they had managed to knock Sirius off his broom, and Hermione noticing his dangerous expression, decided to get things going. 

"Getting nervous Hermione?" Piped up Ron as she herded the group out the door. "You wish!" she shot back, along with a confident laugh. She caught Sirius' eye and he was grinning like mad. He liked this side of her. It was her wild, uninhibited side, not bothered by rules or restrictions. Hermione quickly turned away and walked faster to catch up with Harry and Ginny (who was now slightly annoyed that her brother and Dean were getting along, and wouldn't stop discussing the bloody quidditch game).

They walked a little ways down the alley, towards the main street, to hail a taxi. "Hey!" Ron paused from quidditch talk for a moment to notice they were walking out toward the main street. "Why the hell are we walking and paying for a taxi? Lets just apparate there!" Harry turned "Think about it for a minute Ron. Hermione, Ginny and Dean don't know how to apparate yet." Hermione looked up guiltily andcleared her throat nervously.

"Well actually..." She spoke up, causing everyone to stop in their tracks and turn to look at her. "See what I mean" spoke Sirius in a confident drawl, grinning ear to ear "Our Hermione has changed! Way to go, is this the first law you've broken?" Hermione grinned back despite herself and considered this for a moment. "Well maybe it is and maybe it isn't..." she trailed off, and laughed with Ginny as they continued to walk on.

Sirius shook his head and walked on, hands in his pockets, grinning at Hermione's back. The boys were now starting to get used to being shocked by what they learned about Hermione bit by bit. The only one still having trouble adjusting was Ron, but he was quickly distracted by the opportunity to hail a cab as they reached the main street.

Ron had inherited some of his dad's obsession with muggle customs, and he jumped up and down, waving madly at a passing taxi. When it failed to stop, he flung his arms up in the air "What the hell was that!"

Hermione and Ginny who had gotten quite giggly, pushed him aside "Oh never mind." Said Hermione "We'll do it" She and Ginny flipped their hair and smiled as they waved at a passing taxi. It screeched to a halt, leaving skid marks on the street. Harry and Ron didn't like the close attention the taxi driver paid Hermione as she climbed in, but before Ron could say something (and they had all been waiting for it) Sirius spoke up.

"Hey why don't you keep your eyes on the road?" He growled aggressively. The driver shot him a glare "Calm down buddy, or do you want to get out and wait for another taxi?" Hermione looked at Sirius and saw that he had both fists clenched tightly. She quickly interrupted this exchange between the driver and the infuriated Sirius. "Umm Ron where exactly are we going? You haven't told me yet" Harry, Ron and Dean all smirked at one another (Sirius was still fuming, and was staring determinedly out the window, glancing sideways at the driver every now and then).

"63 Bradshaw street" Ron told the driver, trying to conceal a grin of triumph. "What are you three smirking at?" Asked Ginny, looking from guy to guy. "You'll see soon enough" was all Ron said. And they did.

The driver pulled up to a curb at the dingy-est, sketchy-est (A/N sketchy means creepy) and most crowded bar Hermione had ever seen. However, there were some well dressed people coming in and out, so it didn't seem too bad. Ron had been watching her expression, with a gleam in his eyes. "Want to turn back Hermione? You don't have to go through with this if you feel uncomfortable." Sirius watched her with a raised eyebrow. Hermione once again tossed her hair, and stuck her tongue out at Ron. "Just promise me one thing Ron, don't be too protective, and leave me alone. I would like to be able to flirt with some guys without you scaring them away."

She climbed out of the cab, leaving behind a nervous looking Ron. Dean helped Ginny out of the cab, and Harry Ron and Sirius climbed out of the cab, getting more than a few glances from a group of girls smoking near the entrance. Sirius noticed this and walked up to them. He nodded his head at the cigarettes "Hey can I bum one?"

* * *

Hermione had been the first one in, and waited just inside the entrance for her friends to catch up. "Where's Sirius?" She asked when he failed to appear through the doorway. "Oh he's already found a group of girls- he's smoking with them just outside" answered Harry, taking her arm, guiding her through the crowd towards the bar. The rest followed them, Hermione's insides burning with jealousy. 

She had been looking forward to being around Sirius tonight, especially when she could blame anything that went too far on the alcohol. She clenched her teeth and sat down at the bar. Ginny and Dean had wandered off to one of the darkened tables after ordering a pint each. Harry and Ron sat to her left. Before Hermione could order her own drink, a guy had zoomed over to her and sat down on the empty stool beside her.

She turned and quickly looked him up and down.. He was pretty cute, he was _no _Sirius, but he had sandy blonde long-ish hair and hazel eyes. He had a nice body too. She gave him a sexy grin, and got one in return. "Hey gorgeous, can I get you a drink?" She heard Ron choke on his own drink but she answered as though she had not "Sure, I'll have a pint"

At that moment Ron and Harry probably could have put a few charms to good use. However,they were both quicklydistracted by two girls who had come over to drag them off to dance. Hermione and the guy, whose name was Alden, became friendlier and friendlier as it got later... and as they got drunker.

They eventually left their barstools- after Ron and the brunette girl that had dragged him off to dance sat down at the bar across from them. Hermione didn't need to see those patronizing glances, and she didn't want to think'sensibly' right now, she only wanted to have a good time.

After getting sick of Ron's glares from across the counter, she put down her mug. "Hey" she said, leaning in close to Alden's face, pulling him in by his shirt collar. "Do you wanna go somewhere a little less crowded?" In the crowded, noisy, and smoky room, Hermione didn't notice Sirius staring at her, downing shots, as she dragged the panting Alden over to a dark table in the corner. She pushed him down in a chair "C'mere" he pulled her down onto his lap. She didn't reallyknow what she was doing, she had had _alot _to drink. She straddled him on the chair, and arched back, tossing her hair off of her shoulders, and giving him a nice view at the same time. "You are hottttttt" he slurred, and pulled her in for a kiss.

* * *

Harry had been pulled out to dance by a short, pretty redhead. He threw a few glaces back at Hermione as he left the bar, but was quickly distracted- this girl could _dance_. The floor was crowded with dancing couples, and a few times Harry and his partner were separated by the pulsing crowd. 

One of these times Ginny swam into view, right in front of Harry. She was pushed into him, and he steadied her. She turned around and gave him a mischievous smile. He could see Dean, not too far away, dancing with the red head he had been dancing with just a few seconds before. Before he knew what was happening, he felt Ginny's hands on his neck and he automatically reached out for her waist. They went in time with the music, pressing their bodies up against one another. Harry's breathing grew heavy, and before he knew what he was doing, he had leaned in for a kiss...

* * *

Alden kissed Hermione roughly- she had been putting up with it the whole evening. Though he was not a good kisser-most drunk guys weren't-she didn't care about that right now. She rubbed his arms and shoulders and he moaned into the kiss. He moved his hands down her back and pulled her in closer. _This guy really doesn't know what the hell he is doing- or he's just waaay to smashed. Either way, he cannot kiss. _

Hermione tried to pull away, but he held her tighter and continued to kiss- well continued to ATTEMPT to kiss her. Finally he broke away from the kiss. "I'm going to get more drinks, so don't go anywhere sexy" Alden lifted Hermione off his lap and put her in the chair he had just vacated. He stumbled off toward the bar, and Hermione, wiping her mouth, looked around.

She could just make out the top of Dean's head, dancing with what looked like the top of Ginny's head- all she could see was red hair. Harry was kissing someone, but all she could make out were the girl's arms around his neck. Her gaze traveled around the room and finally, with a jolt, rested on Sirius. He was standing not too far away, leaning against the wall, attached by the lips to some girl.

Hermione's eyes narrowed and she got up from her chair, not sure what she would do, but intending to go over there and get the girl off of Sirius. _Her_ Sirius. She didn't care if Harry or Ron saw them. She had been wanting tobe with him all night, and now she was going to go for it.

Unfortunately she hadn't gone more than a few, faltering steps before Alden made his way back to their table clutching two foaming mugs. "Where do you think you're going?" He teased, putting the drinks on the table and pulling her to him once more. "I've gotta go" She murmured, not looking at him, as she pushed away. "Woah not so fast sweetheart, you're staying with me" He reached back out for her, sat down and pulled her back on top of him.

Hermione tried to push his hands away, but he laughed drunkenly and ignored her feeble attempts to escape. Her anger had been building, and finally snapped. She slapped his face with all of her strength. It seemed to stun him for a moment, and she took the opportunity to get up off of his lap. His expression of shock was quickly replaced by drunken anger, and he stood up, pushing her to the floor. Hermione screamed, hitting the floor hard on her way down.

She looked up at the drunkenly swaying Alden, advancing toward her. Movement from behind him caught her eye and she looked away. She saw Sirius starting toward them, looking more furious than she had ever seen him. But Hermione was not going to wait around to be the damsel in distress. She was pissed. She lashed out, kicking Alden's legs out from underneath him.

He hit the floor just as Sirius reached him. Alden, not noticing the angry man coming up behind him, got up "You little bitch!" heswore, and started towards her, hand raised. He didn't make it another step.

Sirius grabbed Alden's shoulder from behind, spinning him around.He punched him hard in the jaw. Blood and spit flew from Alden's mouth as his head whipped around, and he crashed to the floor unconscious. He lay sprawled on his stomach, his head turned to the side. A trickle of blood started to creep from his mouth, forming a steady river, down his cheek, and pooling on the floor.

Hermione stood up, and stepped around the unconscious Alden. "Are you ok?" Sirius asked. Normally, Hermione would have been grateful for his help, but she was drunk and insanely jealous of the blonde he had been kissing a moment before. It didn't help things that the same blonde had just came up behind Sirius, and was staring at the scene from behind his shoulder. If Hermione hadn't been as drunk as she was, she may have noticed that the whole bar was watching along with the blonde.

"No I am not fucking ok! I could have taken him on my own! I didn't need any help" She swayed drunkenly on the spot and raised a hand, not sure what she was going to do, but thinking she might attempt to slap him. Instead, she tripped over her own feet-no wait they were Alden's-and passed out as she started to fall to the ground.

* * *

Sirius had been trying his hardest to stay away from Hermione the whole evening. This was saying something, it was taking all of his self control from pulling her from that blond guy he had been watching her snog in between drinks all night. In an attempt to lessen the frustration, he had downed quite a few shots, followed by more than his fair share of pints. (A/N - "Beer before liquor, never been sicker!") He had also distracted himself by snagging (and snogging) the first girl who had thrown herself at him that evening. The blonde girl from outside. Marissa? Or was it Clarissa? It didn't really matter to him what her name was. 

However the alcohol and the girl had been making it steadily harder to control himself. The only thing restraining him was that he knew the position he would be putting Hermione in if he gave into his urges and snatched her away from the blond. And he didn't mean the physical position- in his arms and up against a wall. He knew that she wouldn't want to hurt Harry, or any of the guys- by putting them in an awkward position.

But this girl- he dubbed her 'Rissa' was not Hermione. Sure, she was tall, blonde and pretty- but pretty in a fake kind of way- and her hair was stick straight- not wavy and shiny like Hermione's. Her kiss was cold and plain to Hermione's warmth and spark. It only threw into harsh comparison what he was missing.

Once again, he opened his eyes and scanned the room, keeping his lips on 'Rissa's', but trying to keep an eye on Hermione. She was still sitting on top of some blonde guy at a table not too far away. He saw the blond guy's hands move down her back as he continued to kiss Hermione, and Sirius closed his eyes, he did not want to see that happening. However, after awhile he couldn't contain his curiosity and opened them again.

What he saw made him pull away from 'Rissa' and push through the crowd towards Hermione. He had just witnessed the blond guy PUSH Hermione to the ground. He heard her scream and saw the blonde continue advancing toward her. Sirius pushed people out of his way faster in his haste to throttle him, his wand was forgotten in favor of his two tightly clenched fists.

He saw her eyes meet his and look away. He was almost there when she kicked out at Alden's legs, making him fall to the ground. It gave Sirius just enough time to push the last few people out of his way. Alden barely had time to raise his hand before Sirius reached him. He grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around, punching him squarely in the jaw, feeling something crack on impact.

He could feel people staring at him, and realized the whole bar had quieted down to watch. He didn't give a damn. The only person he was concerned with had stood up and stepped toward him. "Are you ok?" He asked her, genuinely concerned, and still contemplating giving the unconscious blond a swift kick to the-

However, Hermione interrupted these thoughts with a response that deeply wounded him. "No I am not fucking ok! I could have taken him on my own! I didn't need any help" She slurred, and suddenly swayed on the spot and fell. Sirius caught her just as she began to fall. She didn't stir in his arms, and he realized she had passed out.

He picked her up, cradling her in his arms,and caught a whiff of her breath- thick with alcohol. Just then, Ron and Harry had reached his side, running down the aisle he had created bypushing dancing people aside on his way to reach Hermione. Harry was hanging on to the sleeve of Ron's shirt, restraining him from lunging at the bleeding guy on the floor. Neither of them knew what exactly had taken place, but that made it all the worse as their imaginations took over. "That bastard!" Ron swore, swinging at the air in front of him. "Fuck, Harry let go"

Harry was having some trouble keeping himself from lashing out as well, but had been alerted to the trouble in the first place by overhearing the bartender call the cops. He had just pulled away from kissing Ginny (extremely confused), when Dean, none the wiser, had whisked her away to continue dancing. Their eyes met for a split second before the other redhead, Shauna, was asking him to get them more drinks.

Harry had been waiting to order another round of drinks for himself and Shauna when he accidentally overheard snatches of the bartender's telephone conversation. "Yeah, real big guy...punched...customer. -real dangerous...fast as you can", Harry had looked around, and abandoned his drinks, and the girl, as soon as he saw Sirius standing with Hermione in his arms. He met Ron on the way and barely had time to grab Ron's sleeve as he reached Sirius and the now unconscious Hermione.

Harry didn't have time to explain, or ask questions, as a distant siren wailed in the distance. It was loud enough to be heard faintly over the music and general noise that had gone back up to a dull roar, which meant the cops had to be pretty close.The room had gone back to their drinking, dancing and dark corners, everyone ignoring the unconscious man on the floor, but giving Sirius a wide berth.

"Hey guys, as much as I'd like to stay here and mess this guy up, we've gotta go- " He jerked his head toward the bartender "He's called the cops." "Oh shit" said Sirius. The dark entrance of the bar had been lit up by flashing red and blue lights. He snapped into action. "Ron go find Ginny and Dean. The cops are here, we've gotta go now. There's a back door- we can go out that way. Harry would you mind causing a bit of a distraction to give us some time?"

Siriuswas once againpushing through the crowd, but he could no longer use his arms to push people on the dance floor out of his way. He instead used his shoulder to push through the throng, but it was slow going as people collided again and again with his arm and shoulderas he attempted to sheild Hermione from the jostling crowd.

* * *

Meanwhile, Harry had pulled out his wand and caused a small explosion outside, distracting the cops for the moment. He slipped his wand discreetly back into his pocket as he weaved and dodged his way through the crowd to the door Sirius had pointed out moments before.

* * *

Sirius had finally made it through the crowd and to the door, his shoulder heavily bruised, but Hermione unscathed. He turned around and saw the rest making their way towards them, Ginny and Dean looking flustered and confused, all four of them being pursued by cops. 

Sirius ran out the door and into the alley behind the building. Gently, he propped Hermione into a sitting position against the wall. She moved and groaned, but did not wake. Sirius pulled out his wand and pointed it toward an old discarded can, muttering an incantation. The can glowed blue for a moment , and Sirius picked it-and Hermione-up in his arms. The rest of the group came bursting out of the door.

"We have to hurry, the cops are just behind us-" Ron exclaimed "-and they saw us run out the back, they're sure to come down around this way!" Sirius held out the can. "Everybody touch this, hurry up, we only have a few seconds." They all crowded together and held onto the can,trying to catch their breathin the dark and dingy alleyway.

Suddenly they all felt a jerk somewhere around their navelas theywere pulled inwards. Seconds later they re-appeared in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place, disoriented. Ginny stumbled and Harry reached out and caught her. "Th-thanks" she murmured. Sirius noticed a small blush creep up her cheeks, but everyone else's attention, including Harry's, was on the inanimate Hermione.

Suddenly they all began asking questions at once "Is Hermione ok?" . "And what the hell was that all about?" "Who was that guy?" "Why did you punch him?" "Is Hermione hurt?" "Why were the cops chasing us?" Sirius raised his voice "Listen!" Everyone stopped talking and looked at him to continue."Hermione is fine, she has just had a little too much to drink. As for what happened, I'll fill you all in, in the morning. Hermione has had a rough night, and she needs to sleep it off. I'm bringing her up to bed."

And with that, Sirius carried Hermione out of the kitchen and up the stairs, leaving the rest to speculate on what had really happened.


	7. Blue Silk

Author's Warning: this chapter contains a sex scene, however weak since it is my first attempt at writing one. So if you don't want to read it, don't read the italicized text.

And thank you, once again, to my amazing reviewers :) to all those who havent yet, please review this story! it motivates me to continue writing:)

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the wierdness- thank you! i hope you enjoy this chapter, im not sure how i feel about it, it was hard to write (see authors warning) 

Crazy Physco- thanks :)

RainynDawn- heehee well how did you guess where she would end up?

Raspberri13- i hope you find this chapter worth waiting for :)

JTBJAB- really? i was totally confused with the whole pool/billards thing, thanks for clearing that up- im british at heart- just trapped in an american's body :) :) so i have trouble with the different slang!

FallenCeleste- haha im so glad you like it! i wasnt sure how people would react to her new attitude, she gets... well a little outgoing when she's drunk, so i hope you like this chapter :)

trurose- heehee sorry about those spelling issues, that comes from typing the chapter up at 1 or 2 in the morning- yeah that part was a little confusing i should have cleared it up- he didnt see her dancing/kissing Harry bc he was occupied with the other red head and the floor was really crowded - sorry for the confusion and thanks for the review:)

firehottie- here you go! hope you like it!

EsScaper- thanks! i hoped i could put it into words- yes the hangovers will not be fun, but it might give them an excuse to stay upstairs for a while if needed...

Guinn Pern- yes i do! haha which is why i updated as soon as i wrote this next chapter :)

Ariesbaby- oh no, she forgives him pretty quickly ;) - it was the alcohol talking

BlackPaintedWhite- ooo a car? yes that would be nice! haha hope u like this chapter

amrawo- thank you! heres the update!

donttouchmysexyferret- heehee yes it was too bad, but if they had hooked up then, they wouldnt be hooking up now... ;)

the all mighty and powerfulM- yes, jealousy will keep creeping up on them, especially once they get to Hogwarts ;)

profet- i read your story and loved it! im going to check right after i upload this to see if its updated-it better be! haha :) and who knows if harry will find someone else- there are alot of girls at Hogwarts, so dont worry, Dean isnt completely out of the picture :)

moonyNZ- thanks! ive always thought of him as being really protective- and i read your new chapter and of course LOVED it- what are you talking about writers block? i wish i had your type of writers block! update soon!

sorry if i forgot anyone! if i did i blame it on tired-ness!

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and once again, this was my first attempt at writing a sex scene, so im sorry if you are disappointed :( 

please review:)

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None of the characters or names or anything Harry Potter-ish (except this plot) belong to me. They belong to the genius that is J.K.Rowling.

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Sirius gently carried Hermione up the flights of stairs to the top floor. The arguing in the kitchen over what had really happened growing fainter and fainter as he went. He finally reached Hermione's door, but it was shut. He tried nudging it open with his shoulder, until a wave of pain brought back the memory of pushing through the crowd with the same, now heavily bruised shoulder. He didn't want to chance Hermione waking up by putting her down, so he managed to somehow get his wand out of his pocket with Hermione still in his arms. 

"Alohomora" he muttered softly, pointing at the door. It didn't budge. He tried again, this time with a more advanced unlocking spell, but achieved the same result. "Damn it" he swore under his breath. Trust Hermione to lock her door with a terribly advanced locking spell in a house full of friends. The girl was just paranoid.

His shoulder had started aching again after trying to push open her door, and he didn't feel like standing around any longer trying to get the damn door open. He turned and walked towards his door instead. He kicked the half open door open with his foot and strode over to his bed, throwing a complex locking charm over his shoulder at the door as he went. He held Hermione with one arm as he pulled back the covers with the other.

He gently laid Hermione down in between the covers and tucked her in, putting her wand on the bedside table. He was rarely this gentle or affectionate with anyone, save his godson Harry. But that was a different sort of affection. He thought of Harry as his son. Now, what with the fact he was Harry's age, he instead assumed more of a brotherly role, though still a fiercly protective one.

Hermione moved her head on the pillow, but still did not wake. She was beautiful, laying in the deep blue silken sheets, brown curls falling over the pillows and into her face. He stood there for a moment, taking it all in. Then, pulling off his shirt, which reeked of smoke and alcohol, he walked into the bathroom, intent on taking a long shower.

* * *

Hermione heard a door close and woke. She blinked groggily a few times and looked around. She was laying in a large, canopied bed, almost identical to the one she had in her own room only this one was a little larger and was hung with dark blue- almost black- silks instead of red. It was hard to make much else out in the darkness. A little light was coming in from a small window on the wall to her left, but not enough to see much, even as her eyes began to adjust. She heard someone walking around, and turn on a shower, only to hear a muttered silencing spell and then nothing. 

She could just make out a door to her right where the noise had come from before it was magically silenced. Hermione knew she was in Grimmauld place, she had a vague recollection of coming in through the front door- in someone's arms. She just wasn't sure of whose room she was in now.

They must not have been able to figure out her locking spell to get into her own room, (she thought with a small swell of pride).

She quickly eliminated the possibility of Ron's or Ginny's room because she had already seen those, and would have recognized them. That left Sirius and Harry. Her heart gave a funny little leap for a moment, at the idea of being in Sirius's room-in his bed-but quickly convinced herself against this. "It must be Harry's room" she thought, "He and Ron would be the ones to take care of me" and settled back down beneath the covers.

But still, something nagged at her thoughts. Harry's room was across from her room, and Sirius was next door. That left Harry's room with no window, as it was between Sirius' room and the empty air of the stairwell. Her room and Sirius' room overlooked the street below. She gulped and sat up once more, her heart resuming its funny little lurch. She got up out of bed, feeling slightly sick, and went over to the window. Sure enough she could see the street below, looking more dismal than ever in the moonless cloudy night.

She needed to clear her head. She found her wand on the table next to the bed and, pointing it at her head, muttered a complicated incantation that would take away most of the effects of the alcohol, but unfortunately not eliminate the hangover she would have the next morning. She stood in the creeping shadows by the windows for a few minutes, contemplating her next move.

Every instinct was telling her to go next door to her own room and thank Sirius in the morning. But though her instincts were telling her one thing, a small part of her wanted to stay. She had wanted to be with Sirius all night, and now here she was, possibly in his room. Maybe she would check just to make sure it was Sirius' room before deciding what to do.

It was not uncommon for wizards to conjure a magic window on a blank wall, and Harry was perfectly capable of doing so. She slipped back into the darkness as she walked away from the window and towards the door. She would simply glance out into the hallway and figure it out immediately. Unfortunately, the handle, try as she might, would not budge. She tried as many unlocking spells as she knew, but no matter what she threw at it, the door would not open. Biting her lip in frustration (there were not many spells that she could not do) she walked over to the bathroom door.

She tried this handle, and it moved freely with her touch, uninhibited by any locking charm. As soon as the door opened, the sound that had been magically silenced filled the darkened bedroom until she had shut the door behind her.

The dark tiled bathroom within was lit dimly with a few flickering wall sconces and was very warm and damp. Harry or Sirius was still taking a shower, and was also listening to slightly loud music. They would not be able to hear her, she noted with satisfaction, as she continued to look around. This bathroom was slightly bigger than her own, and saw,with envy, it had a huge whirlpool tub in one corner.

There was a large closet to her right , and the shower was across from the closet and next to the sink, over in the left hand corner. Suddenly, the water stopped, and the shower curtain began to move. Hermione quickly dodged into the closet. Luckily, it was spacious enough for her to hide behind some towels comfortably and be completely out of sight. She heard the closet door open and soft flickering light spilled inwards as whoever it was reached in and took a towel.

Hermione resisted the temptation to look, as any movement might give her away. The door closed, and the person walked away towards the sink. Hermione heard the music turn up even louder, and shifted in the closet, staring out from the narrow crack between the closet doors. It was lucky for her that the music had been turned up.

Upon seeing Sirius, wrapped in a towel, in front of the sink, she gasped loudly and hit her elbow on the side of the closet with a loud thunk as she shifted closer to the door. He was ruffling his wet hair in front of the mirror, and his wet toned body glistened, his muscles flexing with every subtle move.

Hermione moved even closer, completely mesmerized. She had seen him shirtless once before, but she hadn't really had time to look him over. Now she did, and he was way hotter than she had thought before. A new song came on, and Sirius all of a sudden lunged towards the closet, sending Hermione flailing backwards in an attempt to conceal herself once more.

She didn't get far however, as she noticed that Sirius was not headed toward the closet. He simply turned up the already loud music, and Hermione recognized the opening strands of music now blasting from the stereo in the corner. It was a muggle song! Sirius stood there, staring into the mirror, completely lost in the song, and looking very pensive, apparently brooding over something.

* * *

There's another world inside of me that you may never see 

There's secrets in this life that I can't hide

Well somewhere in this darkness there's a light that I can't find

Well maybe it's too far away

Or maybe I'm just blind

Maybe I'm just blind

_He walked over to the bathroom door, and pulled it open, peering out at the canopied bed. Hermione saw a puzzled expression on his face, as he walked out, leaving the bathroom. She quietly pushed open the closet door and stood, leaning against the doorframe, gazing at Sirius and trying to muster up enough courage to go to him. He was walking toward the bed, slowly, looking around the room for the missing girl._

So hold me when I'm here

Right me when I'm wrong

Hold me when I'm scared

And love me when I'm gone

Everything I am

And everything in me

Wants to be the one you wanted me to be

I'll never let you down

Even if I could

I'd give up everything

If only for your good

_Sirius reached the bed. Where had she gone? The door was still closed. He sensed someone watching him and turned. She was inches from his face. They stood there, Hermione staring up into Sirius' endless gaze, Sirius staring down into her wide brown eyes._

So hold me when I'm here

Right me when I'm wrong

Hold me when I'm scared

You won't always be there

So love me when I'm gone

Love me when I'm gone

_Hermione reached up and ran a hand through Sirius' long, wet hair. He brought his own hand up, and placed it over hers, moving it down to his neck. She brought up her other hand to join it._

When your education x-ray cannot see under my skin

I won't tell you a damn thing that I could not tell my friends

Roaming through this darkness, I'm alive but I'm alone

And part of me is fighting this

But part of me is gone

_Sirius pulled her in by the waist. Their faces got closer and closer, not breaking the gaze now burning with intensity._

So hold me when I'm here

Right me when I'm wrong

Hold me when I'm scared

And love me when I'm gone

Everything I am

And everything in me

Wants to be the one you wanted me to be

I'll never let you down

Even if I could

I'd give up everything

If only for your good

So hold me when I'm here

Right me when I'm wrong

Hold me when I'm scared

You won't always be there

So love me when I'm gone

Love me when I'm gone

_Hermione closed her eyes and felt Sirius' warm mouth on her own. She parted her lips and once more brought her hand up to his wet hair. Sirius broke the kiss for a moment, to look in her eyes, now filled with desire. He kissed her again, sick of taking it slow- he needed her. He kissed her passionately, hands roaming her body, tongue roaming her mouth. She moaned into the kiss and pressed her body up against his own, harder. His towel slipped as something else became harder. _

Maybe I'm just blind

_Sirius pulled her toward the bed, not breaking the kiss. He spun Hermione around, lifting her up and tossing her on the bed. She looked up at him, her expression of shock turning into a slightly embarrassed mischievous grin, as she looked his towel-less body up and down. He climbed over her, pulling her topup over her head leaving her completely exposed. She flushed, looking a little embarrassed, but Sirius quickly put his hands and mouth to work, covering her. _

So hold me when I'm here

Right me when I'm wrong

Hold me when I'm scared

And love me when I'm gone

Everything I am

And everything in me

Wants to be the one you wanted me to be

I'll never let you down

Even if I could

I'd give up everything

If only for your good

So hold me when I'm here

Right me when I'm wrong

Hold me when I'm scared

You won't always be there

So love me when I'm gone

Love me when I'm gone,

Love me when I'm gone,

When I'm gone

When I'm gone

When I'm gone

_Again she moaned, and pulled him down to her. She stripped her pants off with one hand, throwing them to the floor. Sirius' mouth went lower and lower, tracing its way down to the only remaining garment, black and lacy, and in the way. _

_He licked just above the black lace and she arched into him, gripping the pillow behind her, and gasping for breath as he slowly, tantalizingly slid them off. He brought himself back up, face to face, on top of the very flushed Hermione, and slowly entered her. She arched again, and gripped the pillow even harder, turning her head as he moaned into her neck and began to thrust. _

_They cried out together, both bodies in unison, She clawed at his back in a passionate frenzy as the tension that had been building up over the past few days finally (and very literally) climaxed. Hermione's whole body shuddered with pleasure and gasped as she felt Sirius' whole body stiffen and then relax as he slumped on top of her. They lay there for a minute, breathing deeply in the tangled heap of silken sheets. Sirius shifted his weight and lay on his side, pulling Hermione to him. _

"Mmm?" Sirius grunted softly in her ear, brushing back a stray sweaty lock that had fallen into her face. She turned over on her back and gazed up at his face, propped up by his elbow. "Mmm" she breathed, a faint smile crossing her lips. He smiled and lay down once more, pulling her onto his chest as they both- exhausted- fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

(The song that was playing was by 3 Doors Down -"When I'm Gone" ) (A/N– if you have never heard this song, you need to hear it! And listening to it on low or medium volume is NOT the same thing as listening to it really really loud- it's a completely different song- and a better one, that I think fits Sirius) 


	8. Damn Feelings

Sorry it took me so long to update! I know this chapter is short, ill try to make the next one longer, i promise :)

Thanks again to my wonderful reviewers!

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The all mighty and powerfulM- no i havent heard that song before, i'll look it up! thanks for the review!

RainynDawn- hahaha thanks! im glad u liked it! omg yeah there would have been some fireworks, especially if Ron had walked in on them! not this time tho :)

moonyNZ- thank you! yeah i looove that song :) sorry the update took too long!

ephona- thank you so much, that was what i was aiming for :)

kittykatekat- thanks! sorry it took so long for me to update! i promise to try and be faster next time!

Blair A.- haha brilliant? well thank you very much! i wasnt sure if ppl would even like it, so thank you!

anonymous- heres your update :)

Crazy-Psycho- here it is! sorry it took so long

airyckah- thanks! this next chapters kinda short, but ill try and make the next one longer :)

Siren'sCall- I know what you mean! ive been busy for ever and ever and it took waay to long for me to update- but thank you for continuing to review :) i hope u like this next one

amrawo- thanks! yeah hermione is a little different in this story but im glad u like it :)

Ms.Sprinkles- thanks! sorry it took so long :)

BuddyX- thanks! sorry it wasnt so soon :)

JTBJAB- hahaha! but why would you ever want to leave England? there are no cute pubs over here! or palaces! haha but ive been here my whole life so im kinda biased in my eagerness toleave :) when you do come over here i highly suggest the new england area :) :) :) (you must try the clam chowdah) but i have to warn you, i dont know if you're a fan of it, but i discovered brown/HP sauce while i was in London, and i cant find it anywhere here!

profet- thank you so much! you flatter! haha :) :) i hope u continue to like these chapters!

donttouchmysexyferret- yeah the italics kinda made it seem like a dream, if i were reeeeeally mean i would have made it one haha but i wanted them to get togehter just as much as anyone else :) thanks!

Raspberri13- thanks! i hope u like this chapter!

the weirdness- thank you! not much happens in the way of other people besides hermione and sirius, in this chapter, im afraid. but dont worry, the reactions will come :) and thank you so much for staying with this story! im sorry it took so long to update, i hope this chapter measures up:)

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Hermione awoke to sunlight streaming through the window, tumbling across the rumpled silken sheets that entangled her and a still-sleeping Sirius. She could hear his rhythmic breathing and felt his arm around her waist. Hermione slowly turned, so as to not wake Sirius, and propped her head up on an elbow, gazing at the sleeping man beside her.

She smiled as he grunted in his sleep and shifted onto his back, opening his eyes. Suddenly a little self conscious, and aware of the headache slowly revving up, Hermione gave him a slight smile and lay back down on the pillow, her face an inch from his. Sirius reached over and brushed the hair away from her face. "Your hair is a mess" The gravely voice filled with sleep could not hide the playful tone from Hermione.

She lifted a hand to give him a well deserved swat, but a sharp pain in her head and a wave of sickness made her groan and roll her face into her pillow. Sirius raised himself up on both elbows and rolled her back over, looking concerned. "Is it bad?" He asked. Hermione whimpered, shielding her eyes from the bright light of the window.

Sirius reached for his wand on the bedside table, wincing a little as his own head prickled with discomfort. He pointed the wand at Hermione and muttered a hangover removing spell, then pointed at himself and performed it again. The symptoms gradually stopped and Hermione cautiously peeked out from behind her arm at the bright room.

As her hangover slowly left, self consciousness took its place. Sirius was laying back down, gazing into her eyes, a slight smile playing across his lips. She smiled nervously and looked away at the clock. "Oh my god! It's already 11!" She gasped, moving to sit up. Sirius put out an arm and pulled her back down. "Relaaaax. No one is going to be up for a while." noticing her nervous expression he added "and no one will know you're in here, they won't be able to break your friggin impossible locking charm on your door, or mine."

She relaxed a little and Sirius brought her in for a long kiss. He broke apart, one hand on the side of her face, looking down at her. She looked beautiful in the morning light. Beautiful, but a little nervous. He asked the question he had been dreading to ask, afraid of what the answer might be.

"Are you regretting last night?" Brushing her hair with his fingers he looked questioningly down at her as she bit her lip, and thought for a minute. She finally answered, a wave of relief washing over Sirius as she smiled up at him. "No, I don't regret it" she replied, still smiling softly up at him.Sirius had been afraid she would be upset, or angry, andfor that he wouldhave alwaysfelt guilty. She was different than any girl he had ever been with, and he wanted this to last.

He smiled back and leaned in for another kiss. They laid back down, Sirius pulling her head to rest just under his chin. He felt her stiffen slightly and frowned. Damn it. It looked like he would have to talk about his damn feelings after all. There was no question about whether she was worth it or not, but nevertheless he was not the type of guy able to open up at will.

Sirius lifted Hermione's chin up slightly, her brown gaze meeting his. "Hermione I'm not really sure how to say this, but I know I should. I have a bit of a reputation," (Hermione snorted) "I'm not the type to talk about feelings and all that crap, but I want you to know that I really do care about you, and I want this relationship to last. That is, if you want it to" He added quickly, once again slightly concerned.

His stomach clenched, if she refused him after all that 'sharing', he didn't know if he could take it. Sure he was more mature than other guys, he was after all an 18 year old with 40 years life experience, but that didn't mean he had lost his ego along with his age. However, his worry was for nothing.

Hermione's shock at seeing this sensitive side of Sirius slowly wore off, and she glowed. She had been a little nervous that she had been just another one of Sirius's one-night-stands. But she felt the same way about him that he had just (shockingly) expressed for her, and immediately relaxed back into his embrace.

"I do want this to last, I really do." She answered, sighing happily. But a feeling of dread and guilt briefly washed over her as she thought of Harry, and Ron. "But we can't tell anyone, yet." She added, looking back up at Sirius. "I don't think Harry or Ron would take it too well, and I don't want to be the cause of any hard feelings between you three."

Sirius smiled and reached up to ruffle her hair. "Yeah, you're probably right. When should we break it to them? Because I don't know how I'll be able to keep my hands off you..." He pounced on the unsuspecting Hermione, tickling her. She tried to fend him off, laughing loudly and she protested in between gasps of laughter. "Siriu- hahaha! Oh! Sto-o-op! Heehee!" She rolled off the bed, pulling the sheet with her.

She wrapped it about her naked body, still giggling, inwardly shocked at these different and unsuspected emotional outbursts she had witnessed from him. She had always thought of him as the dark and brooding silent type. But she liked this side, his unguarded carefree side.

He grinned, leaning on one arm, completely comfortable and confident in his undressed, and now uncovered, state. "Well if you wanted to see me naked again you could've just asked" he told her, grinning madly. Momentarily flustered, Hermione regained her composure and held her head up in mock defiance.

"_I_ am taking a shower" She told him, exaggerating the motions ofhiding her eyes from the naked Sirius, who remained on the bed as she walked towards the bathroom. She felt a tug on the sheet and shrieked as it slipped off. She ran the last few steps into the bathroom, pausing to stick her head out the door, and her tongue out at the laughing Sirius, the sheet gripped firmly in his hand.


	9. Must have dropped it

not much of an update, i know, but i had to make a transition chapter, so its a little dull, but they will soon be at Hogwarts! Hooray! (not in the next chapter, but the next next chapter) and sooner or later the boys will hafta find out about sirius and hermione... duhn duhn duuuuhn.

sorry it took so long! I will hopefully have another update up this week!

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Thanks to my reviewers! 

moonyNZ- yay! im glad you liked the last chapter so much! you'll see more of sirius' sweet side, when he's not acting all tough and 'grown up'. yay! at Hogwarts he will have to act more like a student anywaysmore fun sides of sirius!

Raspberri13- heehee im glad i made you laugh, but ouch! soda up the nose:( lol!

Maestro of the Pen- thanks! let me know when you start your story so I can be sure to read and review! will Harry freak out? hmmm to tell you the truth I havent decided. Ron freaks out about everything, so he's a given, but I have yet to form Harry's reaction :)

JTBJAB- sorry it took so long to update! i promise i'll have a much more interesting chapter than this one in a much shorter time :)

ephona- good! thanks for the review:)

ne-ma-pa-sa-ra- thanks for the nice review! sorry it took so long to update, and that this chapter is a little dull, next one will be interesting i promise!

Rane2920072- Thanks! here is the update, several weeks late (sorry!) :)

EsScaper- thanks! so far it has been fluffy, but the next next chapter may have an encounter with a certain character...

amrawo- thanks so much for your nice review:)

profet- thanks for your continual encouragement:) i hope you like the next chapter :)

Crazy-Physco- Thanks! this next one may be a little slow.. but i think it is necessary, for transition :)

RainynDawn- heehee :) thanks! sorry this one took so long

LittleMissPadfoot- thanks, this next one might be a little slow, but dont worry, they will be in Hogwarts sooN! i would love to keep it going until the end of their school year, it depends on how long i can keep coming up with ideas:) thanks!

airyckah- heehee well ithink they may be alittle shocked, ROn many throw a ronfit, but who knows? i havent written it yet, so it could change :) thanks!

Elyse Bennet- thanks! i was really nervous writing that chapter, but im glad it came out ok! heehee i figured he was a kid in a man's body anyways, so why not give him the younger body:)

ArcticAngelzTx- thanks! heres the next chapter, sorry it took so long!

babyblueangel- awwe thanks! im sorry to keep you waiting, ill try to keep up with updates, the summer is so hectic!

the all mighty and powerfulM- thanks! here it is :)

Stupidia- here are your updations! lots of thanksations:) :)

Kira Vorhees / A.n.K- sorry it took a while! ill try to be faster, but this summer is kinda hectic! thanks for the review!

MOONEYpadfootPRONGS- thanks! this chapter may be a little boring, but i needed to put it in for transitions, dont worry, there will be a dramatic encounter in the very near future...

Synister Fate- thank you so much! i hope you continue to enjoy:)

God- well thank you very much God. amen ;)

MisticElf- heehee thanks, oh yes, Ron is always good for a nice fit here and there :)

Xmasgoose- thanks! ill try to keep up the updates :)

UNREGISTERED- thank you! ill try to update as frequently as possible! sorry if it takes awhile :) hope you continue to enjoy

Tortallan-Fairy-Tale- thanks! heres the update!

Lady-Delphinea- thanks! i started out as a hermione/draco fan too- draco and sirius have the badboy thing going on ;)

princessamelia- wow! thanks! totally flattering :) i hope this next chapter isnt too boring, not a whole lot happens, but they are on their way to hogwarts and hogwartsdrama!

Fiona McKinnon- thanks! here you go :)

once again, thanks to all my reviewers, you guys are great! im sorry the updates arent as frequent as they used to be, the summer has been really hectic, ahhh excuses, excuses- ill try to keep the updates more frequent:)

* * *

Hermione finished her shower, and walked back out into Sirius' room. It was empty, the door open just a crack. She ran over to the door and peeked out into the hallway-seeing no one, she darted into the hallway just in time to see the doorknob of Harry's room begin to turn. She dashed next door to her own room, lifted the lock charm and hurried inside. 

Closing the door behind her she listened for movement, pressed breathlessly against the door. "Hermione?" Harry knocked on the door, causing Hermione to jump back at the sudden noise. "Are you up yet?" Hermione ran a hand through her wet hair and opened the door. "Morning Harry" she said with a smile, trying to sound nonchalant. "So how was Sirius' shower?" He asked, smirking at the shocked Hermione.

_"Shit! He knows! How the hell does he know? Did Sirius..."_ Hermione stuttered, "Ahh... well it was... umm" trying to pick one of the frantic excuses running through her head she stood there for a few seconds, grateful when Harry started talking again.

To her surprise he gave her a confused expression at her sudden nervousness, "Well he told me this morning that your shower was broken, I was a little surprised when I woke up and he was using mine." Hermione tried to hide her evident relief. "Ohhh right" she breathed, again running a hand through her drying hair. Where was her wand? She should dry it before it started to frizz.

They turned and began to walk down to breakfast together, Hermione still searching for her wand and attempting to continue a conversation to keep Harry from being suspicious. "Yeah, of course I would have fixed it in a second with my wand, but, ahhh, um, well I've never done any plumbing spells before, but then Sirius told me he could fix it so I'll leave it to him.." They reached the kitchen and walked in.

At this point Hermione had given up for the time being on trying to find her wand and instead put it up into a messy bun. Only Sirius was in the kitchen, sipping a large mug of coffee. Hermione's face went pink again and busied herself with making a bagel.

"Where is everyone?" asked Harry, breaking the silence and pouring himself a mug of coffee as Sirius watched Hermione's evident discomfort with slight amusement. Sirius handed Harry a note "this was on the counter when I came in, apparently Ginny and Ron have waited until the last moment to buy their school supplies."

Harry read the note "Ohh Diagon Alley. Crap I have a few things too... and hey!" He said looking up at Sirius "How about you? You haven't done any shopping and I don't see any books lying around. You're supposed to be an undercover student in two days aren't you?" Sirius laughed and continued to gulp down large amounts of black coffee.

At the mention of books, Hermione turned "Two days?" she asked incredulously. "I can't believe we only have two days!" "Don't tell me you've saved everything for the last minute too Hermione" Harry asked with disbelief. "No of course not!" replied Hermione indignantly, causing Harry and Sirius to laugh. "I just can't believe we only have two days before we get to Hogwarts!"

She sat down and was joined by Harry and Sirius both munching on pieces of toast. "Well you wanna come to Diagon Alley wif us? Or you wanna shtay here by yourshelf?" Asked Harry through a mouthful of toast.

"Oh come on Harry, do you really think our Hermione would turn down a trip to a bookstore?" Joked Sirius, nudging Hermione's leg under the table with his foot. Hermione moved her leg and felt her face heat up again. She glanced at Harry but he had luckily chosen this moment to stand up and pour himself a cup of coffee.

Harry chuckled "My mistake, should have known. You want to leave right after breakfast?" Hermione stuck her tongue out at the both of them and stood up "Yeah sure, I have to find my wand before we leave, I'll be right back."

She turned to leave but stopped as Sirius cleared him throat. "Umm here it is, I found it in the hallway on my way down here..." Hermione suddenly realized she must have left it in plain view on the bed side table in Sirius' room while she was taking a shower. "Thanks" she said, not looking at Harry "Yeah, I must have dropped it last night..."


	10. A Stormy Sendoff

Next chapter they'll be on the train toward Hogwarts! yay! finally:)

* * *

Hermione awoke with a start. She propped her head on one hand as she glared blearily at the clock. The flourescent numbers glowed, "4:35 A.M.". Hermione rubbed her eyes and fell back, gazing up at the rich red canopy above her.

She smiled to herself, remembering. Today was the day they were returning to Hogwarts! She doubted whether she would be able to quell the nerves and excitment now rising in her chest, in order to fall back asleep. After a brief and futile battle to calm down, Hermione threw back the covers and tiptoed over to her already overflowing trunk, intending to pack the Gringotts supplies she had bought just a few days before.

As she neatly placed books, quills, robes, and few forgotten clothes into the bulging trunk, she mused over the past week. It had certainly been...she blushed to herself. Well it had been interesting. And different. And very very exciting. Though regretful that the bustle and rush of the past few days had kept her and Sirius from having any time alone, but for a few whispered conversations on the stairs now and then, she was grateful for the distraction the days had provided, keeping awkwardness to a minimum.

Though she ached to tell her best friends this huge secret, she did not want them finding out in this manner, at Grimmauld Place. Sirius had told Hermione it was up to her when and how to tell people about their relationship, and for this she was grateful. She just wasn't ready to tell them. Let them get back into the swing of things at school before she dropped this major bit of news into their unsuspecting laps.

For a moment she lost her train of thought as she finished packing the last bit of debris, a blue raincoat half hidden behind the door. She threw it in with the rest, closed the trunk lid and sat on it. After some pounding and manuvering, she finally got the lid to close, and locked it with a flick of her wand. She glanced around one last time, to be sure she had missed nothing, and then crossed to the darkened window, pullingaside the shade as she reached it. The night sky was just beginning to let a few strands of early morning light stray, filtering through some ominous looking gray clouds. A gentle rain was falling against the windowpane, but Hermione could just make out lightening in the distant, yet approaching, stormy horizon.

"Great" she muttered, crossing back to her locked trunk. "Looks like I'll be needing that raincoat after all."

* * *

7:00 soon came around, with the rainstorm now in full force. The entrance hall of Grimmauld Place was a jumble of frazzled wet people, muddy footprints and floating trunks, as they all struggled to load their school trunks into the car waiting outside.

Despite the nasty weather and early hour, there was an air of excitement. Harry was fighting desperatly to subdue his nerves and calm his hands, which were shaking with excitment. As he was also in charge of directing the trunks and parcelsas they floateddown the stairs and towards the door, this was not a great combination.

"OW!" yelled Ron as yet another parcel came swooping from behind, smacking him on the head, wavering for a moment as if confused and continuing on towards the door where it fell with a thud onto an ever growing pile. "Harry watch what you're doing! One more hit like that and I'll be as thick as Crabbe and Goyle!" Harry laughed as Ron moved away from the stairs to lurk by the doorway, watching the landing parcels and trunks with a wary eye and a sore head.

However, even Harry's excitement at going back to what he considered his real home ever since first year, was nothing compared to Sirius'. Though he remained outwardly calm and composed, as he brought the trunks out by hand to the taxi (so as to not alarm any muggles living near by, if by chance they could actually see anything through the torential downpour), inwardly, he was so excited that he barely noticed what he was carrying, how heavy it was, or the sheets of heavy rain that continued to fall with relentless abandon.

Howarts had been the only place he had ever truely been happy. He had left home at a young age, determined to distance himself from his family, who were both Voldemort supporters and very dark wizards. He stayed with James' family for a while after that, but despite their continual insistance for him to feel at home, and consider himself part of the family, he always felt as though he was a burden.

The only real home he had ever had was Hogwarts. The only people he had really considered family were at Hogwarts with him, James and Remus. Even Dumbledore, though Sirius sometimes resented the authority and frequently found himself in his office with James after commiting another prank, had been fatherly to him while at school. Those seven years at Hogwarts had been the happiest years of his life. He had felt that happy onlytwice since then. First, the birth and re-aquantaince with his godson, Harry, and secondly (he allowed himself a gentle smile) the past week he had spent with Hermione.

Sirius stumbled blindly into someone, on his way back in from loading the last trunk. Deep in thought, and half blinded by the pouring rain, he had not noticed Ron, making his way towards the car.

"Ouch!" Ron hopped on one leg, holding his shin, and glaring up at Sirius. "What the bloody hell is this! Tryto take out Ron day? Sirius mate, if you're that desperate to injure me just so you can have a spot on the Gryffindor quidditch team..."

Sirius laughed, slapping Ron on the back, as they headed back towards the house. "Sorry there Ron didn't see you."

They ran back into the house, Ron limping slightly from where Sirius had accidentally kicked him. "Yea well this is what I get for volunteering to see if you were done loading the trunks so we could go." remarked Ron ruefully.

Ginny overheard Ron's last remark in the crowded entrance hall, and turned. "Oh give it a rest Ron, the only reason you volunteered was to avoid any more of Harry's flying trunks..."

Ron rubbed the back of his head and joined in on the laughter as they ducked out of Grimmauld Place and into the dark and stormy dawn for their journey back to Hogwarts.


End file.
